Kind of random, but anyone know of/recall any information about a murder at Cloquet High School? (Duluth: 2013, elementary school)

[oldtimerdg]

Jessica Lange did go to Cloquet High School, but I don't think she graduated from there. My brother had her in his classes. He was two years ahead of me...he graduated in 1970.

[yousie1970]

If I remember right, the murdered girl's name was Katherine Marie Bodie (sp.?).

[nick is rulz]

sounds right yes.

[nick is rulz]

Originally Posted by betsyjane34

Did they ever find who murdered Susan Poferl who was found in Otter River/creek in March of 1971-was it this same Savage guy?

doubtful. He was incarcerated by then.

[chelseamandy]

When I went to Cloquet High in the 1960's I had Jim the boy who murdered Kathy Bodie sitting behind me for a entire basketball season as we had assigned seats back then. At one game he pulled my head back and lightly dragged a knife against my throat. It seemed like a joke so nothing more was said..we all laughed and the game and evening continued as usual.

[chelseamandy]

No it was not Jim Savage who murdered Susie Poferl..it was a guy that worked as a carry out boy at the Cloquet Co-op Store. at the moment I cannot remember his name but he was a small built guy with curly light colored hair. His last name could have been Williams.

[chelseamandy]

Originally Posted by pokegama1973

Is it a rummor that the actress Jessica Lang was a student at that high school at the time of the murder?

Its no rumor Jessica Lange the actress was a senior when Kathy Bodie was murdered....The school play "Rebal Without a Cause" was to be the senior play that Jessica was in but because there was a scene with a knife that play was canceled. I do not remember what play took its place..need to look in my yearbook.

[arabianhorselover]

Interesting to hear about this after all these years. I was born in 1960, so was too young to have been in high school at the time. However, I remember we used to go to that room to get school pictures taken. My parents told me about the crime.

From what I've read, Jessica Lange was not born in Cloquet, but lived there for a few years.

[ProfessorMarvel]

Originally Posted by chelseamandy

No it was not Jim Savage who murdered Susie Poferl..it was a guy that worked as a carry out boy at the Cloquet Co-op Store. at the moment I cannot remember his name but he was a small built guy with curly light colored hair. His last name could have been Williams.

Your right chelseamandy. The man arrested for Susan Poferl's murder was Thomas Joseph Williams and he was a bag/carry out boy at Cloquet Co-op/Piggly Wiggly at the time. He pleaded not guilty after a Carlton County grand jury indicted him for the murder. His public attorney was John D Durfee who is since deceased.

Does anybody have any knowledge of what happened to Thomas Williams? I can't re-call the trial but am guessing he was found guilty and sentenced? I've been trying to research him and Susie Poferl and the whole murder ordeal but there is almost nothing at all about it internet wise. It's almost like a large section of the Northland has forgotten her and her tragic demise!


CHS has a memorial scholarship named in honor of Susan Poferl which is great. I wonder how many young people even know who she was or what happened to this attractive 18 year old girl who was just starting out her life?

[geebabe]

Originally Posted by arabianhorselover

From what I've read, Jessica Lange was not born in Cloquet, but lived there for a few years.

According to all the biography sites, Jessica Lang was born in Cloquet MN and during her early childhood her family moved around Minnesota about a dozen times. They ended up back in Cloquet where she went to, and graduated from, Cloquet HS.

Sorry to contribute to the derailment of this thread ... let's get back to the murders of these two young ladies. I, too, am curious about what happened to the murderers. It is strange not to be able to find the information on-line, but that just goes to show everything isn't available.